Ejector for a Mobile Furniture Part

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an ejector for ejecting a mobile furniture part from a closed final position in or on a furniture base. Said ejector comprises a first ejector lever, which can be driven by an electric drive unit, especially an electric motor, an additional ejector lever, being interspaced from the first ejector lever and being mechanically coupled thereto in such a manner that when the first ejector lever is driven by the drive unit, the additional ejector lever is displaced, too.

The present invention relates to an ejector for ejecting a movable furniture part from a closed end position in or on a furniture body, having a first ejector lever which is drivable by an electric drive unit, in particular an electric motor.

Particularly with movable furniture parts which are very wide, in particular very wide drawers, ejectors of the generic kind are generally arranged centrally on the furniture body, since a decentralised arrangement to one side results in an unfavourable exertion of force upon the movable furniture part (risk of tilting).

With ejectors of the generic kind, it is also desirable for them to be provided with a touch-latch operation, i.e. to design them in such a way that when a pull or push is exerted upon the ejector lever, the electric drive unit is activated, and the movable furniture part is ejected from out of the closed end position. In order to permit such operation to the full extent, i.e. to also make it possible for a pressure-induced release, it is, of course, necessary, to allow enough free space for slight movement of the movable furniture part into or onto the furniture body, even when the movable furniture part is in the closed end position. It is exactly in this instance of very wide movable furniture parts that the afore-described central arrangement of an ejector is problematical with respect to the touch-latch operation, since it cannot be assumed that all users will apply the force required for release centrally onto the movable furniture part.

Irrespective of whether ejectors of the generic kind have a touch-latch operation, it has been seen that if a movable furniture part is very wide, not even a central arrangement of an ejector is optimum with respect to the application of force. It is exactly in the central region of the movable furniture part that a relatively large amount of deformation occurs to the movable furniture part, e.g. of the rear wall of a drawer.

Both afore-mentioned problems could, of course, be avoided by the arrangement of two ejectors, each one close to the mutually opposite side walls of the furniture body. However, this solution is not desirable for economical reasons.

The aim of the invention is therefore to further develop one single ejector of the generic kind in such a way that it rectifies at least one of the problems discussed above.

This problem is solved by an ejector with the features of claim 1.

By providing a further ejector lever which is mechanically coupled to the first ejector lever, the need for two separate ejectors arranged in the furniture body is eliminated. At the same time, the problem of unfavourable exertion of force upon the movable furniture part is removed, because with an ejector according to claim 1 the force is applied at the edge of the movable furniture part, thereby resulting in less deformation of the movable furniture part.

If it is provided that the ejector has a touch-latch operation, then the problem of release which is only detectable with difficulty in a central position can also be overcome, if it is provided that the further ejector lever is coupled mechanically to the first ejector lever in such a way that movement of the further ejector lever is detectable by a sensor which monitors movement of the first ejector lever.

This makes it possible to detect force applied onto the movable furniture part in the vicinity of the two mutually opposite side walls.

It is also advantageous that the two embodiments discussed permit assembly to the rear wall, or to a side wall, of the furniture body, thus avoiding a carrier section.

One particularly simple embodiment for the mechanical coupling is in the form of a bar.

However, in theory, other more complex mechanical devices can be envisaged for the mechanical coupling of the ejector levers, e.g. a lever apparatus.

Protection is also provided for an item of furniture with a furniture body and an ejector according to one of the afore-mentioned embodiments, wherein the first ejector lever and the further ejector lever are arranged on mutually opposite side walls of the furniture body.

Further advantages and details of the invention will emerge from the drawings and from the description of the drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a view, in perspective, of an item of furniture,

FIG. 2 shows a view, in perspective, of the item of furniture shown in FIG. 1, with the rear wall removed,

FIGS. 3 a to 3 d show a view, corresponding to FIG. 2, and detailed views of this

FIGS. 4 a, 4 b show another view, corresponding to FIG. 2, with a further detailed view,

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b show detailed views, in perspective, and in section through the central plane, of an ejector according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an item of furniture 8 with a furniture body 5, and three furniture parts 9, in the form of drawers in this embodiment, which are movably mounted in the furniture body. However, the invention can also be used with movable furniture parts 9 which are in the form of furniture doors.

FIG. 2 shows the item of furniture 8 shown in FIG. 1, with the rear wall removed, and with the movable furniture parts 9 having been partially moved out of the furniture body 5.

One ejector 1 according to the invention is provided for each of the two bottom-most movable furniture parts 9. In the case of the bottom-most movable furniture part 9, the first ejector lever 2 is disposed at the side wall 6, whilst the further ejector lever 3 is disposed at the side wall 7. In the case of the central movable furniture part 9, the arrangement is exactly the reverse.

Each ejector 1 is provided with a housing part 10 in which are disposed the electric drive unit, an open or closed-loop control device for the drive unit, a gearing and a sensor (e.g. a rotary potentiometer) for detecting the movement of the first ejector lever 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show detailed views of the item of furniture 8 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 a shows an ejector 1 according to the invention with the first ejector lever 2, wherein it can be seen that in this embodiment an entrainment member 12 is connected to the bar 4 in a rotationally fixed manner. Therein, the entrainment member 12 is designed and arranged in relation to the first ejector lever 2 in such a way that it turns with the first ejector lever upon slight rotation of the bar 4. This is important if the ejector 1 is to be released by activating the other ejector lever 3.

If the movable furniture part 9 is actually pushed into the furniture body 8 on the side of the furniture body 7 where the other ejector lever 3 is disposed, then that movement is transmitted by means of the bar 4 to the entrainment member 12, and thus to the first ejector lever 2. The first ejector lever 2 is coupled to a rotary potentiometer by way of a toothing 13. After a movement has been detected by the rotary potentiometer, the electric drive unit of the ejector 1 is activated, and the movable furniture part 9 is ejected.

FIG. 5 b shows the mounting of the bar 4 in the ejector 1 on the part 11. This mounting is a floating mounting, i.e. the bar 4 can be turned, without being hindered by the self-locking of the electric drive unit. Of course, the first ejector lever 2 also has a certain amount of play, so that it can be moved slightly by the gears without locking. A design such as this is disclosed in FIG. 17 and the description corresponding thereto in AT 413 472 B, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference, and therefore no further detailed discussion is required here.

The supply lines, and the like, have been omitted from all drawings. 

1. An ejector for ejecting a movable furniture part from a closed end position in or on a furniture body, comprising: a first ejector lever which is drivable by an electric drive unit, and an open or closed-loop control device for the drive unit, wherein a further ejector lever is provided which is distanced from the first ejector lever and coupled to said first ejector lever by way of a mechanical coupling, so that driving said first ejector lever by means of the drive unit also moves said further ejector lever, wherein by virtue of the mechanical coupling movement of said further ejector lever is detectable by a sensor which monitors movement of said first ejector lever, and wherein said open or closed-loop control device activates the drive unit after detection has taken place.
 2. An ejector according to claim 1, wherein the further ejector lever is connected to the first ejector lever by a bar.
 3. An ejector according to claim 1, wherein said electric drive unit comprises an electric motor.
 4. An item of furniture comprising: a furniture body and an ejector according to claim 1, wherein first ejector lever and said further ejector lever are arranged on mutually opposite side walls of said furniture body. 